Man hit by bus walks away with bruises

Digital reporter

A pedestrian appeared to have a lucky escape after being struck down by an out-of-control bus as he crossed the road.

Simon Smith, 53, was caught on CCTV crossing Gun Street in Reading at around 9am on Saturday when he was knocked down by the hurtling vehicle.

Simon Smith, 53, was caught on CCTV

It is believed the man suffered bruising during the collision,then dusted himself down and entered the nearby Purple Turtle bar.

Danny Fraifield, co-owner of the Purple Turtle, told BBC South Today it was a "miracle" that Mr Smith was alive.

He said: "I just can't believe that Simon got up, dusted himself off and walked away from it.

"We called Simon a few hours after on the day of the accident and he was in a lot of pain, he was still in shock basically and couldn't believe what had happened.

"It's a miracle that he's alive."

Footage of the incident shows the Reading Buses double-decker careering around a corner and striking Mr Smith from behind.

The vehicle also collided with street furniture before hitting the pedestrian, who looked over his shoulder towards the commotion just as he was hit.

CCTV footage from outside the Purple Turtle bar shows the victim getting to his feet before being tended to by around a dozen concerned members of the public.

A man wearing a Reading Buses top can also be seen rushing over to the victim.

The bus itself appears to sustain a shattered windscreen following the impact, before coming to a halt a short distance away.

A Reading Buses spokesman confirmed the pedestrian was injured, but said he was not seriously hurt.

He said the driver had been "taken off the road" while an investigation into the incident was carried out.

He added: "We are obviously shocked by the incident as well as the very graphic footage that has been shared a number of times.

"Thankfully, the pedestrian does not have any major injuries and there were no major injuries to passengers on the bus.

"The incident is the subject of an ongoing internal investigation as well as an investigation by the police with whom we are working and sharing footage from our on-board CCTV, so it would be inappropriate for us to comment or speculate on this until it has run its course.

"We can assure the public that all our drivers are incredibly professional and trained to the highest standard. Our buses receive regular checks by our award-winning engineering department.

"We send our regrets to those affected, especially the pedestrian injured in the street and hope that he is recovering from his injuries."

A Thames Valley Police spokesman said the road was closed for about two hours.